Roll of Honor
Larkin Secrest Hope
Incident
Constable Larkin Hope was shot and killed while standing in front of a store.
The assassin was standing in the alley between the store and the butcher shop; there were two loud, sharp shots, an intermission, and three shots from the pistol of the officer as he lay in the gutter just outside the sidewalk. The assassin had his horse hitched in the alley - which runs from street to street - where he reloaded his gun, mounted the horse, started west, rode north, turned, and crossed the bridge on the east side of town.
Constable Hope was shot in the left side, hip, and abdomen, and when friends came up and asked him who shot him, he endeavored to answer but was unable to articulate. He was carried into the drug store of Byars & Byars, his wounds dressed and every means used to restore him, but he succumbed to his wounds within half an hour of the shooting.
A sheriff and marshal were on the scene immediately after the shooting and set out to catch the assassin, but a suspect was never apprehended.
Constable Hope had served with the Colorado County Constable's Office - Precinct 1 for three years.
He is buried in Odd Fellows Rest Cemetery, Columbus, Colorado County, Texas.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-4B0B4271- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Larkin. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
128 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Hope gave the Colorado County Constable's Office 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Columbus community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Larkin Secrest Hope is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Larkin Secrest Hope's cause is highlighted.
How Larkin Secrest Hope Compares
Offender Outcome
Never identified
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Larkin Secrest Hope is highlighted in Aug.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Larkin Secrest Hope was killed by shotgun.